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Two reasons you don't take a ILB with a high pick in round 1:

No need to spend a high 1st round pick on an ILB or 4-3 LB. Their are future pro-bowlers are these positions in the 2nd round and beyond.

Bobby Wagner, MLB, Seattle. After starting the year with Wagner in a two-down role (the Seahawks initially took him out on passing downs), Seattle realized by Week 5 this was a waste of his all-round ability. Since then he's missed only six snaps, excepting when he was allowed to rest during garbage time of the recent blowouts of Arizona and Buffalo.His primary job, though, is still run defense, and in that regard he couldn't have done better than his first ranked position in run-stop percentage (a metric that looks at tackles made in the running game that constitute a defeat for the offense), edging Derrick Johnson and NaVorro Bowman among middle linebackers.He has not been outstanding in coverage, but has made few major errors and never looks out of place. His 0.88 yards allowed per coverage snap through Week 15 ranks him 21st among 48 qualifying inside linebackers, and while he has allowed two touchdowns he has also made three interceptions. Detractors may point to him being quieter in the last half of the season (the Arizona game aside), but he's never played poorly.

Lavonte David, OLB, Tampa Bay. A full-time starter from day one, David hasn't missed a single snap since Week 6. Like Wagner, he also leads his position (4-3 outside linebackers) in run stop percentage and has a particular penchant for making tackles for loss, where his 17, not including sacks, leads the league, just ahead of J.J. Watt. The bottom line here is that he is a very high quality run defender who loves to attack. Like Wagner, his coverage skills are average. However, he has allowed five touchdowns while picking up only one interception, which doesn't stand in his favor.
Another difference is that David is used to blitz much more frequently (23 percent of passing plays compared to 10 percent for Wagner) and while he has at least hurried the quarterback 18 times, statistically this isn't a good reward for 143 blitzes.

As a general rule of thumb, I agree. But another overarching rule to consider is get the biggest impact player you can. If you can get a Patrick Willis, I'm totally down with taking him in the first round.

If we pick in the first round and Teo is available and is the next Willis, grab him.

I am all for taking the best player available on the board. This team has a lot of needs..but if Manti Te'o is there I take him in a heart beat.

Those LB's you named above are the exception to the rule. That is not the norm in the NFL and they are both 4-3 LB's who would not fit in a 3-4 zone blitz. That makes a huge difference. Do you recall the last second round LB the Steelers drafted? A guy who had actually played in a 3-4 at times in college? How much did you get out of him in year one?

As a general rule of thumb, I agree. But another overarching rule to consider is get the biggest impact player you can. If you can get a Patrick Willis, I'm totally down with taking him in the first round.

If we pick in the first round and Teo is available and is the next Willis, grab him.

I like Te'o, but he is not Patrick Willis. He is not even close to that kind of physical specimen athletically. Willis came into the league with a ton of potential and room to grow. Te'o has hit his ceiling as a player for the most part. What you see is what you get (admittedly pretty damn good).

I am very curious to see Te'o against Alabama's offense. He will be playing against an O-line in which every player will be in the pros over the next few years.

I like Te'o, but he is not Patrick Willis. He is not even close to that kind of physical specimen athletically. Willis came into the league with a ton of potential and room to grow. Te'o has hit his ceiling as a player for the most part. What you see is what you get (admittedly pretty damn good).

I am very curious to see Te'o against Alabama's offense. He will be playing against an O-line in which every player will be in the pros over the next few years.

Then why has Te'o steadily improved every year at Notre Dame?

If you had the ability to correctly identify a players ceiling at age 22 then you should be a scout......

....but then again if you are going to base something on just one game (Te'o versus Alabama), then you may not make a very good scout.

I am all for taking the best player available on the board. This team has a lot of needs..but if Manti Te'o is there I take him in a heart beat.

Those LB's you named above are the exception to the rule. That is not the norm in the NFL and they are both 4-3 LB's who would not fit in a 3-4 zone blitz. That makes a huge difference. Do you recall the last second round LB the Steelers drafted? A guy who had actually played in a 3-4 at times in college? How much did you get out of him in year one?

Heard of Sean Lee? Was he an exception to the rule? How about Navarrow Bowman?

Fact is that ILB is not as crucial a position as it once was. This is a passing league and there is often only one ILB on the field at a time. We already have one stud ILB that plays in passing situations. We don't need to waste a high pick on another one.